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A Dieter's Dilemma (Atkin's diet)
The New York Times Magazine ^ | 08/25/2002 | JASON EPSTEIN

Posted on 08/23/2002 5:07:58 PM PDT by Pokey78

In August and September, as the blueberry crop advances northward across Long Island on its way to Canada, I like to bake a blueberry pie, to which I add an entire lemon, including the peel, coarsely chopped. By the time the pie is baked, the peel and its pith caramelize and give the berries a surprising tang. A tablespoon or two of arrowroot doesn't quite absorb all the lemon juice, but I prefer my blueberry pie a little runny, not glutinous and stiff with cornstarch like pies from the bakery. I enjoy the way a scoop of vanilla ice cream melts into the warm juice.

During blueberry season, I usually make a dozen or so of these pies, their top crusts lightly browned with egg wash and accented with little rivers of purple syrup. But this year I'm not making any. And when they ripen, I'm not cutting up plump Golden Delicious or crunchy Mutsu apples from the Milk Pail in Water Mill on Long Island and laying the thick slices out neatly in circles in caramelized sugar and butter on the tarte Tatin pan that I bought from Fred Bridge in the 1960's. Nor will I be topping the apples with a thin sheet of buttery pie dough and sliding the tarte in the oven for 50 minutes at 360 degrees, to keep the apples from sticking to the pan the way they would at a higher temperature. And I won't be adding a tablespoon of flour to thicken the syrupy apple juice, because a tarte Tatin, unlike a blueberry pie, should not be runny at all.

Never again will I make the buttery muffins that I used to bake on Sunday mornings. I am also giving up ketchup, which is mainly corn syrup flavored with tomato and vinegar. Moreover, I'm going to think twice before I buy another Walla Walla onion, laden with sugary carbohydrates, or the wonderful rolls from Amy's Bread. That probably means no more hamburgers either and, for that matter, no more onion marmalade, the perfect accompaniment to magret de canard (the breasts of moulard ducks, the kind raised for foie gras), sautéed until warm and pink inside, then sliced and fanned out on the plate accompanied by the marmalade, a silky reduction of a half-dozen large, sweet onions -- a critical mass of carbohydrate waiting to turn itself into body fat.

According to Dr. Robert Atkins, 60 percent of the American population is perilously plump, an endangered group from whose condition I have been withdrawing for the past month at the rate of a pound every other day. I am especially wary of pecan pie, of which a single triangular slice contains three times the daily amount of carbohydrate permitted during the two-week initiation phase -- Atkins calls it the Induction Phase -- of his diet. This is the phase I have recently completed, having lost 10 pounds. I am now well into the Ongoing Weight Loss (O.W.L.) phase, with the permission of my wise friend and physician Stanley Mirsky, who for years has been urging me to avoid carbohydrates. But it was to the evangelical pitchman Dr. Atkins, not the stately Dr. Mirsky, that I finally succumbed, goaded by my son, Jacob, who, though not at all plump, lost 27 pounds and reduced his cholesterol in two months on Atkins.

The physiological case against excessive carbohydrates, reported in this magazine seven weeks ago, is fairly straightforward and by now well known. The low-carbohydrate diet, touted originally by Atkins and adopted successfully by millions of his followers, contradicts the widely accepted theory, introduced in the 1980's and later promoted by the Department of Agriculture's Food Guide Pyramid, that carbohydrates should be the basis of the American diet. Most researchers now agree that carbohydrates, especially refined ones like sugar and other vegetable-based sweeteners, white flour and rice, are quickly absorbed as energy by the body, while carbohydrates in excess of the body's immediate needs are stored as fat for future use. A secondary effect of this quick absorption is renewed hunger soon after a high-carbohydrate meal, for example after a Chinatown dinner of noodles, rice, wonton wrappers, egg-roll skins, syrupy ribs and cornstarch thickeners.

A low-carbohydrate diet, on the other hand, not only forces the body to seek energy by consuming its own stored fat but also suppresses appetite, since dietary fat and protein take longer to digest and enter the bloodstream than carbohydrates. Moreover, the body expends more energy burning fat than burning carbohydrates, yielding what Atkins calls ''a metabolic advantage.'' These phenomena explain the quick weight loss, especially during the Induction Phase, which allows only 20 grams of carbohydrates per day, about half the amount in a single bagel.

Even in its rigorous two-week Induction Phase, however, Atkins provides a rich larder of bacon and eggs, steak, lamb, pork and poultry, fish, including most shellfish, cheese, butter, cream (but not whole milk) and green vegetables except leeks, onions, peas and artichokes. Gin, vodka, whiskey and other spirits, according to Atkins, become ''acceptable,'' as does wine. Excluded forever are pasta, pizza, pastries and so on. No more sushi, congee, cookies, cereals, bagels, croissants, pancakes or waffles; no potatoes or corn, though one or two chips with guacamole is allowed. Above all, no more pretzels, which deliver five times as many carbs as potato chips. Orange juice, alas, is also out. But pecans, almonds and macadamia nuts are in.

Despite these restrictions, you can make a splendid breakfast of eggs scrambled through a strainer and cooked gently in a Teflon pan over simmering water, accompanied by warm prosciutto or its Austrian cousin, speck, with a few spears of asparagus, or a lunch of lobster, shrimp or chicken salad with homemade mayonnaise. (My favorite, Hellmann's, contains sugar.) For dinner you can have a pan-roasted rib-eye steak or striped bass with braised fennel or grilled trevisano radicchio. Most cheeses are acceptable, including blue, cheddar, cottage, cream and mozzarella. Tomatoes are iffy, but Atkins includes a recipe for fried green tomatoes using a noncarbohydrate bake mix. He may be an evangelist, but in his recipes he is not inflexible.

For the moment, at least, I seem to have successfully reversed my compulsions. Not only am I no longer addicted to croissants, hash-brown potatoes, blueberry pies and lobster salad stuffed into hot-dog rolls, but I am also slightly repelled by them. For moderately resourceful cooks, a low-carbohydrate diet offers abundant opportunity, and many of the recipes in ''Dr. Atkins's New Diet Revolution'' are worth considering. Nevertheless, I include my recipe for blueberry pie. Perhaps one day, when I am beyond Atkins's O.W.L. phase and into Maintenance, I'll make it again.

Blueberry Pie

For the pastry:

4 cups all-purpose flour
6 ounces unsalted butter, diced
1 tablespoon sugar
Pinch salt
3/4 cup water
1 egg mixed with 1 tablespoon water

For the filling:
2 quarts plus a little more firm,
fresh blueberries
3 cups sugar
1/4 cup arrowroot
1 lemon, seeded and coarsely chopped in the food processor
Vanilla ice cream for serving.

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and place a sheet pan lined with aluminum foil beneath the rack where the pie will bake.

2. To make the pastry, place the flour, butter, sugar and salt in a food processor and pulse briefly until the butter has been cut in coarsely. Add half the water and pulse, watching to see if the dough forms a ball. If not, add a little more water until it does. Too much water will make a heavy, gummy pastry. Too little will make a crumbly one. If the dough feels too wet, add a little more flour and pulse. If too dry, add a little more water. Pulse sparingly. On a floured board, cut the dough into two parts, one slightly larger. Roll out the smaller portion and place it neatly in a 9-inch deep-dish pie pan. Refrigerate the larger portion while you prepare the berries.

3. To make the filling, pick over the berries, discarding green or bad ones, and remove any stems. Rinse the berries and drain. In a large bowl, mix the sugar and arrowroot. Add the berries and lemon and mix well. Mound the filling in the pastry shell.

4. Roll out the remaining pastry into a large round. Brush the rim of the bottom shell with some of the egg mixture and carefully lay the large pastry round over the berries. Trim the edges, leaving a 3/4-inch overhang. Press the top and bottom pastry halves together to seal well. Fold excess top pastry under and crimp the edges. Cut 4 triangular holes near the top. (Do not cut along the sides or all the juices will leak out.) Brush with more of the egg mixture.

5. Bake for 15 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 375 degrees and bake 40 to 50 minutes longer, or until the top has browned and the juice has begun to spill out. Cool for about 1 hour so juices can settle. Serve with vanilla ice cream.

Yield: 8 servings.

Guacamole

4 tomatillos
Juice of 1 lime, or more to taste
1 bunch cilantro, roughly chopped
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and roughly chopped, or more to taste
1/2 onion, peeled and roughly chopped
5 ripe Haas avocados
Sea salt to taste.

1. Place all the ingredients except the avocados and salt in a food processor and pulse briefly.

2. Split the avocados lengthwise and remove the pits. Save one pit. Scoop out the avocado flesh and add it to the processor. Pulse twice, or until the avocado is roughly cut in. Add sea salt to taste. The salt is crucial and should be added with care. To keep guacamole from turning brown if not serving immediately, add the reserved pit to it and cover with plastic wrap. Remove the pit before serving.

Yield: 10 appetizer servings. Each tortilla chip contains 1 gram of carbohydrate, so take it easy.

Monday Salad
(Adapted from the Palm)

1 head iceberg or other firm, crunchy lettuce, chopped medium fine
1 European cucumber, peeled, seeded and diced
1/2 sweet onion, peeled and chopped medium fine
2 stalks celery, chopped medium fine
1 red pepper, chopped medium fine
1 tablespoon chopped anchovies
1 tablespoon capers, drained and rinsed
1 tablespoon nicoise olives, pitted and chopped medium fine
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon sherry vinegar or red-wine vinegar
Salt, sparingly, to taste.

In a bowl, mix the first 8 ingredients. Mix in the oil, then the vinegar, then salt to taste, although the anchovies may be salty enough.

Yield: 4 servings. Except for the onion, this delicious salad has practically no carbs.


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Editorial
KEYWORDS: atkins
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1 posted on 08/23/2002 5:07:58 PM PDT by Pokey78
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To: Pokey78
The physiological case against excessive carbohydrates, reported in this magazine seven weeks ago... A Diet Rich in Partial Truths

I was speaking to a fellow freeper last night, and I came to this conclusion - FR Atkins devotees are the same as FR Mac lovers. When cornered with the truth, they lash out with a ferocity normally reserved for defending one's children.

2 posted on 08/23/2002 5:16:53 PM PDT by Senator Pardek
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To: Pokey78
I'm not cutting up plump Golden Delicious or crunchy Mutsu apples from the Milk Pail in Water Mill on Long Island

1. I thought it was in Southampton.
2. Good cider, better doughnuts, great hard cider.

3 posted on 08/23/2002 5:17:50 PM PDT by rmlew
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To: Pokey78
Atkins is pretty extreme, but when I read his and other books like Zone and Sugar Busters and I accepted the fact that My Body prefers more protein, less carbs, I lost that "last ten pounds", I am more mentally alert, less tired, etc.

I find I can eat the carbs, even the pie, I want now, I just want less. (Feel better, look better, think better, etc.)

Carbs made me un happy!
4 posted on 08/23/2002 5:36:13 PM PDT by mamaduck
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To: Pokey78
"According to Dr. Robert Atkins, 60 percent of the American population is perilously plump,"

If it was about losing weight then Atkins looses -- BUT and this is a very BIG BUTT (there are lots of really big butts that need help) -- then you'll feel much better and look better on Atkins.

I've dieted on the convential recommened low fat diets and I get sick and look terrible. Most diets are legalized torture that you inflict on yourself.

Cut carbs and anything with sugar and you'll feel better with more energy and a great attitude on life.

After two years o fAtkins I get sick when I eat ice cream but beer seems to be real good!!
5 posted on 08/23/2002 5:37:52 PM PDT by BeAllYouCanBe
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To: Pokey78
I am sorry to hear that Jason Epstein just had his wife leave him for someone else, that the chicks at the health club won't look at him, and that he shares such father/son traditions like dieting results and cholesterol values.

The author is definately in need of being a bit more of a man. Even if a man diets, he does not discuss it or write about it in the paper.

I think we have won the war on terrorism and lost the one to save testosterone if this is what makes the media priority list.

Good luck on the diet guy! Do me a favor.....When you get looking real buff, don't write the column about your new felt urge to question traditional male sexuality traditions and the new alternatives you have discovered.

6 posted on 08/23/2002 5:41:02 PM PDT by blackdog
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To: BeAllYouCanBe
This probably isn't anything due to Atkins,but when I sit by the office Atkins guy at meetings-hes been on it a year and a half,down probably 75 pounds-is that the odor of "health" I smell or what?
7 posted on 08/23/2002 5:42:21 PM PDT by John W
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To: Pokey78
Department of Agriculture's Food Guide Pyramid

When you or your son or anyone else loses weight it is because you expended more calories than you consumed. There is no magic involved nor any method other that the method God provided you. And when you expend less calories than you consume the body converts those calories to fat.

8 posted on 08/23/2002 5:45:41 PM PDT by MosesKnows
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To: Pokey78
This time of year I am partial to the occasional pint of vanila ice cream blended with one large Colorado peach. Smooth and cool!!
9 posted on 08/23/2002 5:49:21 PM PDT by Dust in the Wind
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To: Pokey78
FWIW, I've known two people who tried the Atkins diet. Both quite overweight, one from long term overeating and one gaining weight after quitting cigaretts. Both lost a lot of weight rapidly. Both gained it back rapidly within a year of loosing it.
10 posted on 08/23/2002 5:50:25 PM PDT by templar
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To: John W
Well... While your burning old fat one does smell worse... Usually when you reach your weight goal and stop burning the fat stored for years you begin to smell very little. Of course there are other possibilities…
11 posted on 08/23/2002 6:05:00 PM PDT by DB
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To: John W
The odor of health??

I have heard that the Japanese find we Americans have an offensive body odor because of the amount of red meat we eat. Also, in the Atkins diet your breath may smell of a chemical (fat-burning smell) that is normal for people buring fat. You should only be offensive for a 2 week period.

Since so many of us don't ever burn fat off the Atkins way we are not used to the smell. I have found some really offensive body odor from obsese people in general and if they smell bad for a short period of time than that's an improvement of they get down to a reasonable weight.

I most confess that I eat mostly salads and not all that much red meat and it could be the high red meat content of your coworkers diet that offends you.
12 posted on 08/23/2002 6:11:38 PM PDT by BeAllYouCanBe
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To: templar
Both lost a lot of weight rapidly. Both gained it back rapidly within a year of loosing it.

The research by Dr. Stunkard at the University of Pennsylvania, showing that dieting doesn't work in the long term, is getting pretty old, but I don't know that it has been refuted. A good question concerns why Americans are getting heavier. I'll bet that part of the reason is dieting, with people bouncing back heavier than before within a few years. (Another theory is that it is caused by people eating less fat, as proposed in the "big fat lie" New York Times Magazine cover story a few weeks ago.)

13 posted on 08/23/2002 6:11:48 PM PDT by Steve Eisenberg
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To: Steve Eisenberg
Three words: Lack Of Exercise.
14 posted on 08/23/2002 6:14:37 PM PDT by Senator Pardek
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To: MosesKnows
"when you expend less calories than you consume the body converts those calories to fat."

It really isn't that simple. Talk to anyone who has quit smoking. You gain weight when you quit because your mebtabolism slows down from the nicotine loss. There are people whos metabolism burns less when dieting because as they ingest less calories they become more efficient in calorie burning. Nazi experiments proved this in 1939.

The best study about Atkins says that Atkins "low-carb" dieters ingest (take-in, eat, desire) 30% less calories than low fat dieters.

The blood sugar swing with conventional diets make sticking to them difficult.

Maybe it is a simple equation but we are complex humans.
15 posted on 08/23/2002 6:20:23 PM PDT by BeAllYouCanBe
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To: MosesKnows
Not according to scientific fact. You haven't read the Atkin's book on how carbs make you produce insulin. Read the book man.
16 posted on 08/23/2002 6:20:44 PM PDT by Dawgs of War
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To: Senator Pardek
And I've noticed that in every Atkins thread, there's always a few clowns who come in early, defecate, and bail...and never stick around when the solid posters join in. I wonder why that is.

The diet works, and with too many personal success stories, including mine, why should I bother with the crap?

17 posted on 08/23/2002 6:22:03 PM PDT by Citizen of the Savage Nation
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To: Senator Pardek
I was speaking to a fellow freeper last night, and I came to this
conclusion - FR Atkins devotees are the same as FR Mac lovers.

Nothing like a PC devotee. Har, Har, Har.

18 posted on 08/23/2002 6:24:08 PM PDT by itsahoot
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To: Pokey78
Read this thread. The Atkins Diet may not be for everybody.
19 posted on 08/23/2002 6:32:09 PM PDT by SamAdams76
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To: John W
"[I]s that the odor of 'health' I smell or what?"

Could easily be the Atkins. The Atkins diet isn't merely low-carb, it's deliberately ketogenic—that is, it puts the body into ketosis, where it burns ketones rather than glucose for energy. Unlike glucose, which can be stored in fat, ketones must either be burned for energy or flushed out of the body. (This is why an Atkins dieter can lose weight without exercising, although exercise has so many of its own benefits that it's stupid to diet without exercising.) Unfortunately, ketones carry a, um, distinctive odor with them. If an Atkins dieter drinks enough fluids (80+ ounces a day), then this presents no problem. Drinking too little water, though, forces the body to dump the ketones as sweat.

More than you wanted to know, I bet. ;-)

20 posted on 08/23/2002 6:32:30 PM PDT by Fabozz
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